Rhys could have easily been one-dimensional—an avatar—soulless and cruel. Instead, he was vibrant and alive. He blindsided me, stormed into my life and spun me upside down. It took less than a week for him to do the impossible—to shatter the wall around my heart and work his way into the fabric of my soul. No man I’ve ever known has been more worthy of love than Rhys Ravenstone.
My antihero.
I beg—beg him—to set Rhys free. Topleaselet me right the wrong I did by not trusting in the gift he gave me. Because the moment Rhys knocked on my door, he changed everything. He became my everything.
I end the last message with a simple,please send him home.
After I hit Send, I toss aside the phone and lay my head on the back of the couch to stare up at the ceiling, my heart slamming against my sternum and tears raining down my cheeks.
I won’t quit.
I won’teverquit.
Not until the last star swallows the last galaxy.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You seem better today.”
Shocked by Brooklyn’s observation, I snort out a laugh as I look up from the inventory sheet displayed on the screen of my laptop. “Really? Because I feel like shit.”
Nine lonely, sleepless nights, with today being the tenth straight miserable day spent buried up to my eyeballs in research. I’m strung out, frayed at both ends, and about ready to snap at any moment. But I’ve kept the candle burning, and while I refuse to give up, I’ve run headfirst into nothing but brick walls.
“At least you stopped with the funeral garb.”
She’s exaggerating.I have one black dress, but okay, yes. I may have dusted off a few of my old emo-phase pieces, but I returned them to the closet. Today, I’m dressed more appropriately for the weather—tan cargo shorts paired with an orange knit tank top. I braided my curls. It’s ungodly humid and I’m in no mood to play Fight the Frizz.
Part of not giving up is not letting myself go to shit—even though all I want to do is crawl into bed and wallow. But this little engine is going to keep trudging up the mountain. I won’t stop until I rescue Rhys, and if that means hauling my ass out of bed each morning, taking a fucking shower, and putting in the work until the work is done and he’s home, then that’s what I have to do.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Miss It’s Always Sunny in Harley Cove.” The snark is heavy in my retort. “I remember a time not so long ago when you came to work looking like doom and gloom every day forwellover a month.”
“Ha, ha!” Brooklyn says sarcastically. “That was different.”
“Yeah, why?”
Brooklyn lifts a short stack of new books and carries them toward a spot we made for them over in the paranormal romance section. “It was me, not you.”
“Oh, my gawd,” I drawl. “You totally have Main Character Syndrome.”
“Hell yeah I do!” Brooklyn says, laughing, with a toss of her head that sends her strawberry-blond hair cascading over her shoulder.
“At least you know it,” I call out, laughing.
The bell above the door chimes, and as always, hope flares. I swear my heart skips a beat, and I get breathless and lightheaded,wishing—hoping, praying—it’s Rhys who’s walking inside The Scorched Page. But that hope dies a swift death when it’s Lisa who hesitantly enters.
Fuck me.
As always, she looks as fresh as the summer breeze. Bold move for her to walk her floral-dress-wearing ass into my bookshop as if my…Rhys…didn’t threaten to skin Jason alive and hang him on a meat hook less than two weeks ago. But here she is, and when she waves to Brooklyn, my bestie gives her the ol’ up-and-down shifty eye without returning the friendly greeting.
Lisa offers me an awkward smile. “Hi, Charly.”
“Lost?” I drawl.
Again, she glances at Brooklyn, and my gawd, how I love my friend for this. Brooklyn throws Lisa the single most sarcastic glare in the history of glares right before flipping Jason’s fiancée the finger. I wink at her and give her a little shake of the head, silently calling her off. Brooklyn rolls her eyes, clearly unhappy that she can’t antagonize the woman.
“Can we talk?” Lisa asks, her discomfort palpable. Fucking good. “Please?”
Curious despite myself, I close the laptop, giving the stunning blonde my undivided attention. “Sure. Why not? This should be good.”
